Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes multiple power generating units and a dummy unit, and respectively providing openings providing reactant-gas supply manifolds. Each power generating unit includes one or more first supply passages extending from the opening to a central region thereof. The dummy unit includes one or more second supply passages extending from the opening to a central region thereof, and a second supply passage port at the highest position in the vertical direction among the second supply passage ports where the second supply passages are connected to the opening is located at a lower position in the vertical direction than a first supply passage port at the highest position in the vertical direction among the first supply passage ports where the first supply passages are connected to the opening.

Abstract: A fuel battery includes unit cells, each of which includes a membrane electrode assembly having two gas diffusion layers. Gas passage forming bodies are stacked on an outer surface of each of the gas diffusion layers of each of the unit cells so that each of the unit cells includes a fuel gas passage and an oxidant gas passage. Each of the gas passage forming bodies includes water guide passages, each of which is located between adjacent ones of the gas passages. A communication passage is arranged between each of the gas passages and an adjacent one of the water guide passages to guide water from the gas passage to the water guide passage. The communication passage has a higher pressure loss than that of the gas passage.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes a first separator and a second separator. A second protrusion is formed on a first sealing portion of the first separator. A concave portion is formed in a second sealing portion of the second separator. When fuel cells are stacked together sequentially in the vertical direction without displacing relative to one another, the center of the second protrusion and the center of the concave portion are aligned with each other. Even if the fuel cells are displaced while being stacked together, the upper fuel cell in the vertical direction is moved to decrease the distance between the center of the second protrusion and the center of the corresponding concave portion.

Abstract: A vehicular impact-absorbing member may include a wood member having a first pair of opposite surfaces perpendicular to an axis direction of annual rings thereof and a second pair of opposite surfaces parallel to the axis direction of the annual rings thereof, a pair of restraint members respectively positioned on the second pair of opposite surfaces of the wood member, and connecting members connecting the pair of restraint members to each other with the wood member sandwiched between the pair of restraint members.

Abstract: A flame retardant resin composition includes a thermoplastic resin, flame retardant reinforced fibers, and a flame retardant. The flame retardant reinforced fibers include cellulosic fibers, a phosphorus compound that is grafted to the surface of the cellulosic fibers, and a polyamine compound that is bound to the phosphorus compound. The flame retardant is a phosphorus-based flame retardant.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes power generation cells and an end cell. Each power generation cell has in it a gas passage, through which power generation gas passes. The fuel cell includes an introducing conduit, which distributes and introduces the power generation gas into the gas passages, and a discharging conduit, which merges flows of the power generation gas after passing through the gas passages and discharges the merged flow. The end cell has in it a bypass passage, which connects the introducing conduit and the discharging conduit to each other. The bypass passage is composed of parallel channels, each of which is independently connected to the introducing conduit. The parallel channels include lower parallel channels and upper parallel channels. The pressure loss in each of the lower parallel channels is smaller than the pressure loss in each of the upper parallel channels.

Abstract: A channel forming body used in a fuel cell module has a gas channel, a water conduit, and a communication path that provides communication between the gas channel and the water conduit. When a ridge is seen in a cross-section perpendicular to a channel extension direction, one of both ends of an external shape of the ridge is shaped so as to be located closer to a center of the ridge than an imaginary surface of the channel assumed to extend in a straight line along the channel extension direction. Portions of the ridge located closer to the center of the ridge are formed opposite from each other at left and right ends of the external shape of the ridge with the communication path interposed therebetween.

Abstract: A work region evaluating system includes an imaging unit and a processing unit. The processing unit includes an image processing section that converts a three-dimensional image of a vehicle body component recorded by the imaging unit to three-dimensional image data, an extraction section that extracts work regions and reference regions respectively from both the three-dimensional image data and three-dimensional design data, an alignment section that aligns the three-dimensional image data with the three-dimensional design data with reference to the reference regions, and an evaluation section that evaluates a relation between the work region extracted from the three-dimensional image data and the work region extracted from the three-dimensional design data, based on the three-dimensional image data and the three-dimensional design data which are aligned with each other by the alignment section.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a bumper reinforcement including: a bumper main body portion extending in a vehicle transverse direction and is provided at a vehicle longitudinal direction outer side of a pair of left and right side members, the pair of left and right side members being disposed at a vehicle front portion or a vehicle rear portion and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction; and a reinforcing member formed of wood and is block-shaped, and that is disposed within a cross-section of at least a vehicle transverse direction central portion of the bumper main body portion, an axially central direction of annual growth rings of the wood of the reinforcing member being set to a direction that runs along the vehicle transverse direction.

Abstract: A separator assembly for a fuel cell includes a first separator, a second separator, and a joined portion. In the joined portion, the first separator and the second separator are joined to each other through laser welding. The first separator includes a first surface that is intended to be opposed to the membrane electrode assembly. The first surface of the first separator includes an exposed portion where the base of the first separator is exposed. The second separator includes a second surface that is intended to be opposed to the membrane electrode assembly. A film including conductive particles is arranged on the entire second surface of the second separator. The joined portion is formed by irradiating the exposed portion of the first separator with laser.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of power generation cells stacked and connected in series and coolant passages configured to circulate coolant. The power generation cells each include a membrane electrode assembly and two separators sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly. The separators are each formed by a metal plate. The coolant passages include through-holes extending through the separators and aligned in a stacking direction of the power generation cells. A method for manufacturing a fuel cell stack includes forming a coating of electrodeposition paint on surfaces of ones of the separators having a high electric potential in the fuel cell stack by operating the fuel cell stack and using the coolant that contains electrodeposition paint particles.

Abstract: A gas channel forming plate is arranged between a membrane electrode assembly and a flat separator base. The gas channel forming plate includes gas channels arranged on a surface that faces the membrane electrode assembly, water channels each formed on the back side of the protrusion between an adjacent pair of the gas channels, communication passages that connect the gas channels and the water channels to each other, and guide portions formed by causing an inner wall surface of a gas channel to protrude inward in the gas channel. The guide portions are formed such that the upstream edge of each communication passage is arranged in a range in which, in the velocity vector of the gas flowing in the gas channel, the directional component directed from the side corresponding to the membrane electrode assembly toward the flat separator base has a positive value.

Abstract: A welding apparatus radiates a laser beam to a welding position in a state where a focal spot of the laser beam is in a near-focusing state. The welding apparatus radiates the laser beam to the welding position in a state where the focal spot of the laser beam is in a far-focusing state. The welding apparatus radiates the laser beam to the welding position in the state where the focal spot of the laser beam is in the far-focusing state. The welding apparatus radiates the laser beam to the welding position in a state where the focal spot of the laser beam is in the near-focusing state.

Abstract: There is provided a sewing machine needle 10 including: a shank portion 11 that is attached to a sewing machine; and a shaft portion 12 that is provided on a front end side of the shank portion 11; wherein: a needle eye 13 is formed to penetrate the shaft portion 12, and a long groove 14 for guiding a thread from a position of the needle eye 13 toward the shank portion 11 is formed in the shaft portion 12; and a suppression portion 16 for suppressing movement of a needle thread 21 is provided in an intermediate portion of the long groove 14. Thus, it is possible to provide a sewing machine needle by which a loop can be formed stably and that causes few damage to a needle thread and can be also manufactured easily.

Abstract: A gas passage forming body for a fuel battery includes gas passages and water guide passages. A communication passage is arranged between one of the water guide passages and a gas passage that is adjacent to the water guide passage and is in communication with the adjacent gas passage and water guide passage to permit water to move therethrough. An aid portion is arranged at water drainage ends of two adjacent ones of the water guide passages and aids bonding of water drained from the water drainage ends of the two adjacent ones of the water guide passages. Thus, water drainage from the water guide passages of the gas passage forming body is improved, and water in the gas passages is reduced. As a result, the battery performance of the fuel battery is improved due to an improvement in gas diffusion.

Abstract: A gas flow passage formation plate includes a plurality of projections arranged in a first direction and a second direction. The projections project toward a membrane electrode assembly. The gas flow passage formation plate further includes a gas flow passage, a water flow passage, and a plurality of openings. The gas flow passage is formed by a portion of the gas flow passage formation plate at a side opposing the membrane electrode assembly including regions between two adjacent projections. The water flow passage is formed by a portion of the gas flow passage formation plate at a side opposing a partition plate including the inside of the projections. The openings are each formed in a side wall of the projection connecting inside and outside of the projection. Each opening is arranged at only one location in one projection.

Abstract: A gas flow passage formation plate includes projections arranged in a first direction and a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The gas flow passage formation plate includes a gas flow passage formed by a portion of the gas flow passage formation plate at a side opposing a membrane electrode assembly including regions between adjacent projections, a water flow passage formed by a portion of the gas flow passage formation plate at a side opposing a partition plate including inside of the projections, and openings each formed in a side wall of the projection connecting inside and outside of the projection. In a state in which the openings sandwich the gas flow passage, the openings are arranged so as not to oppose and overlap each other in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which gas flows.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a bumper reinforcement including: a bumper main body portion extending in a vehicle transverse direction and is provided at a vehicle longitudinal direction outer side of a pair of left and right side members, the pair of left and right side members being disposed at a vehicle front portion or a vehicle rear portion and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction; and a reinforcing member formed of wood and is block-shaped, and that is disposed within a cross-section of at least a vehicle transverse direction central portion of the bumper main body portion, an axially central direction of annual growth rings of the wood of the reinforcing member being set to a direction that runs along the vehicle transverse direction.

Abstract: Groove formation portions that define insertion grooves are located in two opposing inner sides of an opening of a main cover. Engagement shafts are located on side portions of the sub-cover that oppose the inner sides. The engagement shafts are insertable into the insertion grooves from an outside and have a thickness that is larger than a groove width of the insertion grooves. The groove formation portions are elastic and deformable to allow insertion of the engagement shafts when the engagement shafts are inserted from the outside. The groove formation portions elastically return to their original forms after insertion of the engagement shafts to engage the engagement shafts and restrict separation of the engagement shafts in a reverse direction. The groove formation portions support the sub-cover to allow the sub-cover to open while engaged with the engagement shafts.

Abstract: An interior part includes a base material and an outer skin material adhered to a front surface of the base material. The outer skin material includes a front surface formed with a stitch pattern of a thread inserted by engagement with a sewing needle to pass from a front surface of the outer skin material to a back surface of the base material to obliquely pass through the front surface of the base material, so that the thread forms a loop portion fixed on the back surface of the base material. The base material includes a seat surface for preventing slippage of the sewing needle on the front surface of the base material in a position where the thread of the stitch pattern is inserted.